The Secret History of Gatecrashing in Singapore

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a man who wants to receive his bride on their wedding day must overcome hellish obstacles designed by a sadistic gaggle of bridesmaids in a traditional activity popularly termed as "gatecrashing". Contrary to popular belief, gatecrashing is hardly a time-honoured Chinese wedding tradition. So how did this activity attain its hallowed position in Singapore Chinese culture today? A writer attempts to find out how gatecrashing in Singapore came about by trawling through books, newspaper articles, Reddit, and emailing professors, wedding photographers, and planners. © 2020 by Rice Media. Published online in Singapore by Rice Media, recorded by Storyside 2020.